The New Zealand Food Market: An Overview
Chapter 5 Survey Results
5.3 Use of alternative retailers in New Zealand
5.4.1 Reasons for shopping in particular retail settings (Q23-26)
The next set of questions considered why or why not participants shopped at certain retailer types, and under what circumstances they would change their behaviour. These follow-up questions considered only four types of retailers: supermarkets, specialty stores, farmers’ markets and other food delivery services.
Participants who answered either fortnightly, weekly, 2-3 times a week or daily in the shopping frequency questions for supermarkets, specialty stores, farmers’ markets or other food delivery services were then asked to indicate their main reasons for regularly shopping. This assessment was carried out using a series of Likert-scale statements ranging from strongly disagree or strongly agree. A don’t know option was also provided, but was excluded from the analysis below.
Results, as illustrated in Figure 5.20, indicate participants’ main reasons for shopping in using these
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Supermarket (n=1,396)
Specialty stores (n=1,323)
Take-away food (incl.
deliveries) (n=1,297)
Restaurants (n=1,274)
Dairy, convenience
stores (n=1,253)
Farmers’
market (n=1,225)
Ethnic food stores (n=1,211)
Other food delivery services (e.g.
My Food Bag, Food Box) (n=1,199) Daily (7) Weekly/2-3 times a week (5 and 6) Forthnightly (4)
Monthly (3) Less than once a month (2) Never (1)
were considered important, as shown by the combined agree and strongly agree statements, the key reasons were:
For supermarkets, convenience (location and opening hours), competitive prices with a good range and availability of products, good car parking, product quality and cleanliness.
For specialty stores, product quality, range and availability, cleanliness, good service accompanied by knowledge of the products, location and competitive prices.
For farmers’ markets, a good range and availability of high quality products with competitive prices, location, good customer service, knowledge of the products and the experience of meeting the producer.
For other food delivery services, high quality products, customer service and knowledge, location and competitive prices.
Figure 5.20: Reasons for shopping in particular retail settings
Next, as shown in Figures 5.21, participants’ reasons for not shopping in particular retailer types was examined. This assessment was done only for the farmers’ markets and (other) food delivery services due to the large number of missing responses. These questions were only shown to those respondents who indicated that their shopping frequencies for the above outlets were either less than once a month or never (reasons for not shopping and reasons to change shopping behaviour).
The number of other responses (excluding don’t knows and missing values) were as follows:
741-867 per statement for those that did not shopping at farmers’ markets;
454-502 per statement for those that would potentially shop at farmers’ markets;
741-958 per statement for those that were not using (other) food delivery services; and
783-878 per statement for those that would potentially shop using food delivery services.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Close to home or
“location”
Competitive prices
Good opening hours
Loyalty programs
Good range and availability of…
High quality of products Good customer
service and…
Cleanliness of the shop The experience and/or meeting the…
Good car parking Online shopping option available
Supermarket SpecialtyStores Farmers' Markets Food delivery services
Figure 5.21: Reasons for changing vs not shopping ( per cent strongly agree and agree)
Next, as shown in Figure 5.22, the circumstances under which participants would change their shopping behaviour. This assessment was also done only for the farmers’ markets and (other) food delivery services due to the large number of missing responses. These questions were only shown to those respondents who indicated that they never shopped at these retailers.
Figure 5.22: Reasons to change retailer types (per cent strongly agree and agree)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Not close to home or “location”
I prefer other types of retailer
High prices
Opening hours are not convenient Range and
availability of products is not…
Quality of products is not satisfactory Customer service or
knowledge of products are not…
Unclean Lack of car parking
Lack of online shopping option
FarmersMarket FoodDelivery
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
If the location was more convenient
If there was better car parking
If the prices were lower
If the opening hours were more flexible If there was a better
product range and availability If the quality of
products improved If the customer service
or knowledge of products improved If more information about the retailer was
provided
If there was an online shopping option
FarmersMarket FoodDelivery
Firstly, the comparison of reasons for not shopping at farmers’ markets and potential reasons to change shopping behaviour in relation to farmers’ markets showed similar response rates. Thus, when participants agreed with statements regarding their reasons for not shopping, they also agreed that if these parameters were improved they would consider shopping at farmers’ markets more frequently.
The key reasons included location, high prices and inconvenient opening hours, with the strongest differences between current reasons for not shopping and reasons to change shopping behaviour being if the prices were lower.
Figure 5.193: Reasons for changing vs not shopping at farmers markets (where comparable) (per cent strongly agree and agree)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Not close to home or “location”
High prices
Opening hours are not convenient
Range and availability of products is not…
Quality of products is not satisfactory Customer service
or knowledge of products are not…
Lack of car parking Lack of online shopping option
FarmersMarket no FarmersMarket change
Figure 5.24: Reasons for changing vs not shopping using food delivery services (where comparable) (per cent agree + per cent strongly agree)
Secondly, a comparison of participants’ reasons for not using food delivery services and potential reasons to change shopping behaviour in relation to farmers’ markets, as indicated in Figures 5.23 and 5.24, showed greater differences. While participants’ main reasons for not using food delivery services were largely centred on price, their main reasons to change included the inconvenience of operating hours (which could potentially mean inconvenient delivery times, as indicated by participants in the comment field of this question).